De La Espriella declares victory as Colombia awaits final vote certification
Key Takeaways
- Abelardo de la Espriella declared victory after taking a narrow lead in Colombia's presidential election.
- The candidate called on supporters and lawyers to monitor the vote certification process.
- Preliminary results show de la Espriella ahead of Ivan Cepeda by less than one percentage point.
Right-wing candidate urges supporters to protect ballots as preliminary results place him narrowly ahead in presidential election
Supporters of Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella gathered in Barranquilla on Sunday as the right-wing politician declared victory following the release of preliminary election results.
Speaking behind bulletproof glass, de la Espriella told supporters that voters had rejected corruption, armed groups and the political establishment.
“We have defeated the rifles that threatened hundreds of thousands of our compatriots in the territories that the government handed over to narco-terrorist groups. We have defeated at the ballot box the corruption that tried to buy votes and failed. Therefore, my fellow citizens, let us recognise a victory for the people, a people who have spoken. And the people must celebrate this triumph,” he said.
While celebrating the outcome, de la Espriella also called on supporters to closely monitor the vote-counting process as authorities move toward the official certification of results.
“Take care of the votes. Let the lawyers be vigilant, ready to protect what the people have decided. To all Colombians, activists, defenders of the homeland, influencers, friends, and members of the Tiger pack: social media will continue to be our bastion of democratic struggle,” he went on to say.
The candidate said a future administration under his leadership would focus on restoring state authority, tackling organised crime and strengthening ties with countries that respect democratic institutions and the rule of law.
Supporters at the event welcomed the result and expressed hope that a new government could create better opportunities for younger Colombians.
With nearly all polling stations reporting, preliminary election figures place de la Espriella in first place with 12,959,542 votes, representing 49.66 percent of ballots cast. Ivan Cepeda follows with 12,708,712 votes, or 48.70 percent.
Under Colombia's electoral system, the preliminary count is followed by a scrutiny process in which vote tallies are officially reviewed and certified before final results are confirmed.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
